Mental Storm
by surveycorpsjean
Summary: SNK Universe, some spoilers, rated for violence, gore, and adult themes After six days Levi found Eren, bloodied and half dead. His body eventually heals, but his mind is plagued by horrific nightmares. Eren plays it off as fine, but Levi sees through everything.
1. Chapter 1

"_What the fuck are you guys doing?" _

_The teenagers laughed into their hands, trying to hide their smiles. _

"_It's a tribute sir," Springer giggled like an idiot, "To the new special ops squad!" _

_Levi raised a skeptical eyebrow- his cravat was tied around a tree branch about the size of his foot. They had stuck it in the ground like a flag. The group was huddled around a campfire. _

"_If I don't get that back in about three seconds, there won't be a new squad." The corporal glared. _

_The group laughed unanimously- except Ackerman. She just sat next to Eren looking bored overall.  
Armin was the one to untie the cravat and hand it back. Levi snatched it- he prepared to yell at them, or stomp away. But, he was almost taken back seeing the kids so…carefree? He was pretty sure he'd never heard them even laugh before._

_So he sat down next to Eren, the cloth still in his hands. He could almost hear the surprised looks on their faces, but they said nothing. The fire crackled. _

"_Do you want some, Captain?" Eren smiled, and held out a loaf of bread. It actually looked fresh. _

_Levi blinked, "Where did you get that?" _

_Sasha coughed nervously and hid her face behind Jean's back. The taller elbowed her, and she squeaked. The kids laughed, and Levi rolled his eyes, ripping a piece of bread off of the loaf. _

_These were kids. Levi had to constantly remind himself of that. These were teenagers thrown into a war they were too young to fight. So, he sat with them until the moon reached the middle of the sky, and he ordered them off to bed. Eren gave him a smile and a nod before going back to the bunk room. _

_The captain nodded back, straight faced._

* * *

Six days.

Six days and they still hadn't found Eren.

Six whole fucking days.

Levi was beyond pissed. They were the scouting legion for a reason. Now why couldn't they fucking _scout?_!

The whole situation was frustrating as hell. The kid was _just_ there, walking around and being a brat with his friends. They were going through city- they had a meeting with Erwin somewhere. Then, the next second- gone. Nope, nothing. His damn sister ran off for half a week, only to come back half-starved and fucking crazed looking for the idiot.

It's almost been 7 days and all they have is a half-lead. Erwin looks about ready to rip his hair out. Well, If he does, at least he'd win the bet about Erwin's hair being a toupee.

Levi crossed one leg over the other and listened to Hanji and Erwin debate over if they should go through with the next planned scout outside the walls- without Eren. The corporal grumbled and leaned his head in his hand, elbow on the edge of the couch.

"We _have_ to find Eren!" Hanji's eyes squinted into something serious. "I won't let anyone else experiment on him!"

Erwin's voice was on that fine line between calm and anger, "We don't even know if he's alive."

"If he was dead," Hanji stressed, "We'd see a giant _titan_ rampaging through the city!"

"But what if he's out of the city, _Hanji._" Erwin slammed a hand down on the table, and she jumped. "We can't spend all our soldiers on finding him."

"He's not outside the walls." Hanji sounded confident. "He's here! I know it!"

"Levi." Erwin looked over to him, "What is your opinion on this?"

"I think this is fucking retarded." Levi snapped.

"_Levi._" Erwin and Hanji stressed simultaneously.

The corporal sighed, standing up, "Fine. Give us one more day- let me and my team go out and look. If we can't find the brat, then we'll declare him dead. Good enough?"

"No! We need to-

His bored eyes looked up at the new voice-

"Sir," Kirschtein stood at the door, saluting. He looked somewhat out of breath. "Permission to enter?"

"Granted."

The kid took a step in and stood his hands at his sides, "Sir, we think we've caught one of his kidnappers."

"…What?"

"He's a scientist. From Trost."

"And what makes you think he's his kidnapper?" Levi raised a sharp eyebrow.

"He was carrying Eren's key."

The room was still. Erwin asked in a low voice, "Where is he now?"

"In a jail cell."

Erwin reached for his jacket slung around the back of a chair and Hanji jumped to gather papers off Erwin's desk. Levi was already halfway down the hall.

* * *

"Eren will be fine, Mikasa." Armin gave a comforting smile, "This is Eren , remember? The guy who got eaten by a titan and lived."

"I know." Mikasa pulled her scarf over her nose. It was almost summer, but Armin knew she would wear it despite the heat. "I still worry."

"We're all worried." Armin patted her arm, "But the commander is questioning the scientist. Maybe this will get us a better lead?"

"Hopefully."

"Now that I think about it…" Sasha tapped her chin, "Jean, how _did_ you catch this guy?"

"He was swinging around the key like a fucking yo-yo." The teen had his shoulder up against the wall, and his arms crossed. "So I punched him in the face."

"It could've been _any_ key, Jean." Connie smacked his forehead.

"It wasn't! I've seen that idiot wear that thing for like, five years. I know what it looks like." Jean huffed.

Mikasa glared, "If you're wrong…"

He held up his hands in defense, and she continued to scowl. The squad was positioned in the lobby-like area just above the jail. They lounged about waiting for news.

There was the sound of a door slamming, and then footsteps. The squad jumped to attention just as the commander appeared in the doorway. Erwin nodded to them, and they relaxed.

"Sir-"

"Commander did you find out anything?"

"Do you know where Eren is?!"

"Shut up." Levi appeared behind him. He tossed an item up in the air, and caught it again. He then threw it over to Mikasa, who caught it with one hand.

She looked down- it was Eren's key, definitely.

"We're calling a meeting." Erwin briskly walked out of the room. Hanji looked a little too smug.

* * *

The situation made Levi think about the day they conspired to capture Annie. Annie, who was still sitting dormant underneath the city.

The soldiers sat around a wooden table. Erwin sat with his hands clasped together. One strand of hair sprung a different direction than the rest, distracting from his usual neat look.

"That scientist knows where Eren is." Erwin tapped his thumb against the table. "He's somewhere in the Trost District, but refuses to release any details."

"Oh come _on_," Connie whispered under his breath.

"Get somebody to beat it out of 'em." Jean growled.

"We have people on interrogation duty." Erwin answered sternly. "You all are in charge of searching Trost."

"Sir, you want us to look for Eren in an entire district?" Sasha tilted her head.

"No," Hanji interrupted, "We want you guys to check warehouses. Jails, major buildings, or upper class homes. Eren is going to be somewhere with lots of space. I know how scientists think; we don't like tiny work spaces."

"What if he's in a basement somewhere?" Armin questioned.

"The military police have agreed to search homes." Erwin answered.

"I can't believe we're teaming up with those fucktards." Levi crossed his arms.

"You're with the search team, Levi."

"Great."

Erwin looked too tired to deal with Levi's shit, so he continued.

"I'm giving you guys 24 hours. If you don't find him within then, it's highly likely the kidnappers will know you're looking for them, and relocate Jaeger. If they do that, the probability of you finding him is slim to none. You have permission to eliminate any oppressors."

The young squad looked at each other, almost nervously.

Armin didn't want to kill anyone. None of them did. Although…Mikasa's eyes were deadly. She answered Erwin with a steady voice, "Sir, yes sir."

* * *

Levi pulled on the gas handle and propelled himself over a building. The air pushed against him, ruffling his hair and his clothes. The corporal's instincts immediately picked up Arlert twisting around a building to his left, and Springer running across a rooftop on his right. He aimed for the steeple of a chapel and used it to sling himself faster. They had been searching the streets for hours. Levi couldn't call it a _complete_ waste of time…they happened to stumble upon a drug warehouse. So, you know. You win some you lose some.

Levi felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It almost caught him off guard enough to loose balance in his straps.

He blinked, confused. He was so immune to the dropping feeling of flying, mostly due to all his training. This wasn't some kind of physical reaction.

_Oh hell no…I'm not actually worried. Fuck that. _Levi breezed past a building, and prepared to land on a rooftop. _I don't actually care if the brat lives or dies._ The corporal tried to convince himself. _Honestly._

His feet skidded across bricks, and he pulled in the wires. _Ugh, this will be the eleventh building today. _

He saw Arlert land on the roof across from him. The captain nodded, signaling with his hands. "I'm going to check here, you go on."

"But sir," Armin called, "what about back up?"

"We'll cover more ground this way." Levi hooked onto the side of the building and lowered himself to the ground. "Move on, Arlert."

"…yes sir."

The sounds of wires and gas faded, and the timid voice was gone. Levi's feet touched gravel, and he looked up at the sign. It was decayed; vines had grown into the cracks of the wall. He peaked into a dusty window, and squinted. _Ugh, gross. _ It was dead silent. So, he kicked in the door.

It made a loud crack, but swung open easily. He brushed dust off his leg and continued in, fearless.

The farmers market was empty. It looked like an abandoned store. Little wooden shelves hung sideways, rotten. As he walked, dust kicked up into the air. He wrinkled his nose, and paused to slip his cravat off his neck. He held it to his nose, and continued in.

An empty table, a couple soup cans, broken glass.

The place had been raided long ago. He walked over to a pale wall, and ran his fingers along burn marks there.

_A fire?_ He looked around for more damage, but there was none. Levi finally sighed, and scowered the whole room again. He looked for holes, cracks, anything that could lead to an underground _anything. _

But nothing.

He turned and punted an empty can. It flung against the wall, and made an echoing _clang_ noise. The corporal whispered and ran his fingers through his hair, "Fuck."

* * *

Levi breathed in fresh air, and retied his cravat. He looked back at the hole he had kicked through the door and shrugged. He gripped the triggers of his 3d gear and prepared to fly.

But there was movement.

Levi stopped, and whipped his head around. He'd for sure seen it; a figure moving towards the back of the building. He stared; but nothing was there. Levi squinted. _There's a cloud of dust._ He drew his sword and took off around the corner. He propelled himself into the air, hoping to get a bird's eye view.

_There._

Levi's eyes widened. A white coat.

He landed on top of the roof, and ducked behind a chimney. He watched the man shakily approach the back of the farmers market. There was a door, he knocked three times. Levi slid forwards, and watched as he was welcomed inside.

* * *

"Put that damn gun away, it's just me."

"Hey man, nice to see ya." He grinned, and clasped the scientist on the shoulder. "Did you get what we needed?"

"Yeah, it was real bloody close though." He sighed, rubbing his hands on his pants. "The scouting legion is searching everywhere."

"We'll move 'em to the other location tonight. Can't be movin' during day, ey." The guard laughed.

"Yeah. They're not like the military police. Can't just pay them off to keep quiet," He laughed back.

They stopped at a noise. Three knocks.

The guard turned to his friend, "Hey, do you think that's J?"

"Probably, "The scientist shrugged, and moved towards the door. He threw open the deadbolt, and smiled, "Did you find-"

He didn't even get the door open all the way.

Captain Levi, in all his glory, delivered a knee straight to his stomach. The man's eyes blew open wide, and fell forwards. Levi then took the butt of his sword and brought it down to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

"You fucker!" The guard yelled, and raised the shotgun. Before he could fire, Levi had grabbed it, twisted it out of his hand, and smacked him across the face with his own gun. The man slid against the wall, and was quiet.

Levi threw the gun down on the floor, and rubbed at his nose. _This place smells like shit._

He was standing in the middle of an old hallway; It smelled like chemicals and rotting meat. Levi cautiously walked down the hallway, not quite sure what the hell this place was.

He passed multiple doors- he'd peak in only to see office doors. Some had desks with papers scattered about, and others had chalkboards with formulas written about them. He turned down another hallway, _Come on. Where is this brat? He has to be here. _

He glanced in another room; he covered his nose. The smell of chemicals flooded the room. Levi looked through, eyes watering a little. He saw beakers, needles, wires, all kinds of equipment. The room was empty, except for the blood that coated the floor like paint.

Levi gave one more look around, and closed the door to move on. He reached the end of the hallway- a locked door. Without hesitation, he kicked it open.

It nearly snapped off its hinges; he was in a jail. That's all he was able to notice before a guard yelled,

"Hey! Who are you?!"

A hand ripped at his shoulder. He dropped his blade, and used both hands to rip the fingers backwards. The man screamed as he broke bone. The corporal elbowed his face, and let him slump against the floor. He scowled at the blood on his hands. _Disgusting. _ He leaned over to pick up his sword, but froze.

_W...what the hell is this._

He was in a jail… full of people.

He stood up, forgetting the sword on the ground. His usually narrowed eyes opened wide. The smell of rotten meat was now overwhelmingly strong. These people… weren't normal.

He looked up to stare directly into the eyes of a disfigured man. His limbs were twisted into revolting angles, and half of his face drooped. Levi resisted the urge to jump backwards, and for once he felt his heartbeat quicken in surprise.

The man said nothing- he just stared. He stared at Levi with empty eyes.

Levi masked his face, and stood up. _I need to find Eren._

He began to search every cell. Every horrifying cell.

There was a woman covered in purple welts, a boy with no arms, a man with a jaw hanging like an old cloth. Levi walked past each one; each step becoming harder than the next. A teenage girl looked like a mutated reptile, and another looked like a hairless cat.

He'd seen so many people die. He'd seen soldiers die in the most horrific way possible…but they were dead. These people were _alive. _ They didn't make a sound, like they weren't even human anymore.

Levi reached the last cell. He realized this one was hardly a cell. It was like a small room itself- the walls were cemented with barbed wire, as if the creature inside was hazardous. He yanked open the door.

* * *

"Armin? Where did the captain go?" Jean met up with the blonde on top of a rooftop.

"He went off on his own." Armin shrugged.

"Should we go find him? I mean, it's been a while."

"I think we need to find Mikasa." Armin rubbed at his nose. "I haven't seen her all day."

"Guys!" Connie yelled from afar. The two looked, and watched as the teenager hopped from another roof onto theirs. He came in too quickly, and skidded across the rooftop. Jean reached to catch him, and pull him to his feet. The younger yelled, "The corporal! The corporal!"

"What about him?"

"Is he alright?"

"I think he found it!"

* * *

It was hard to move, heavy and rusted, but the door finally creaked open.

Levi had seen Eren chained before. Once, back when they first met. This…this was something entirely different.

The teenager was slumped against the wall with his wrists chained above his head. He was visibly dehydrated, as he was pale and his bones showed through his skin. Eren's head was slumped forwards, hair covering his eyes.

Levi's brain short circuited for a moment, his hand still on the doorknob.

The shifter was covered in various lacerations. There were long cuts running across his arms, and straight slashes down his stomach, almost like someone cut him open and sewed him back up. His clothes were gone; the kid was sitting in his own blood.

"Eren."

There was no response. Levi crossed the room in one stride, and dropped to his knees, "Eren, Eren, _Eren,_ wake up. Eren."

He wasn't quite sure where to grasp the teenager. He tried to grab his shoulder, but realized his back was covered in whip markings.

He raised his voice, "_Eren!"_ Levi placed a hand in front of Eren's mouth, feeling for breath. He placed two fingers on his neck, and practically sang out of relief when he felt a pulse.

Eren groaned, and Levi reached for his swords. "I'm going to cut you free."

"Corporal."

Levi froze and looked down and his stomach dropped. Eren cried, silently.

Levi swallowed, and looked away, "Don't talk." He aimed for the chain. In one move, he cut it down. Without anything to hold him up, Eren fell forwards onto the ground. Levi reached down and pulled him back up into a sitting position.

"Eren, heal yourself."

"I-I-" the younger choked, "I can't- I can't anymore-"

Levi pressed, "What do you mean?"

"I can't-" Eren's voice shaked, "It won't-"

"Shut up, we need to go."

"I'm okay."

"Yes, you're okay." Levi assured. His voice wavered, and he internally cursed himself. "Can you stand?"

"Y-yeah," Eren seemed unable to open his eyes, they were pretty swollen. He tried to move his legs, but Levi realized they looked more like minced meat rather than legs.

Levi's voice shook, "Fuck- grab onto my neck." He instructed, "I'm going to lift you."

"No-"

"Do _not_ argue with me." He said sternly. Levi slid his swords away and reached down to lift underneath Eren's thighs. This resulted in Eren's injured back having to lay across his forearm, and the younger yelled.

"We're leaving, okay?" Levi moved slowly, careful not to hit a wall. He moved past the cells, where the sickly people began to cry out. Eren closed his eyes, almost unable to look at them.

Levi turned down the hallway; he was met with two scientists.

"We've been breached!"

"You! You're the one who knocked out our friends," A man in glasses accused. The scientist picked up one of the fallen guard's guns. He obviously didn't know how to hold it, as his hands shook.

Levi's arms were full, he couldn't fight.

"You."

Four people spilled into the room,

"You are under arrest. " Armin Arlert stood at the doorway. Jean grabbed one and held them against the door. Connie held the other down as Sasha pried the gun out of his hands. Armin looked to Eren in Levi's arms, and his face fell.

* * *

Eren was knocked out for three days.

His sister never left his sight, holding his hand even as doctors operated. His friends would visit constantly, and for those days nobody saw Levi in the corner, patiently watching over to make sure everything was fine.

But there was still a problem- still so many questions. Nobody was quite sure what the hell had happened really. All the people involved were in the jail underneath headquarters- for three days Erwin did nothing but press them for answers.

And nobody knew what to do with the other experiments found in that laboratory….

Erwin came into the room, his presence alone shushing the commotion. Everyone looked to him as he ordered,

"Those who are not a doctor or a captain, please leave."

Eren's sister narrowed her eyes, "Sir,"

"Ackerman." Erwin matched her look. She gave one more look to Eren, before Armin gently grabbed her arm and led Mikasa out with him.

Now the room seemed much bigger, as only Hanji, Erwin, and Levi remained. Eren continued to sleep peacefully on the bed.

"Full report." Erwin broke the silence.

"I don't know where to begin," Hanji lifted up her glasses to rub at her left eye.

"What is the damage?"

"Two broken legs, thirty two lashes on his back, sixteen on the front, and two on each arm. He was insanely dehydrated, like he did physical work without nourishment. Internal bleeding has apparently stopped, but,"

She walked over to Eren and lifted the blanket back. She pointed to an exceptionally long gash that started at his sternum and ended at his bellybutton. "They cut him open here, like they wanted to see inside him. They stitched him back up, but not very well."

Erwin's eyes turned cold, and Levi pestered, "Why can't he heal himself?"

"All this," Hanji's fingers ghosted over a bruise on his face, "All this is what _didn't _heal. It's like they were trying to find his limit."

"What do you mean?" Erwin demanded.

Hanji brought them closer, and pointed to the little white dots and lines that seemed to coat Eren's body. They were hardly noticeable; like a mark that would fade in a few days.

"See these? Each one of these marks is a deep cut, burn, or injury that healed. They're _everywhere_, as if they were testing Eren's healing limit. As they hurt him he'd heal, and heal, and heal, until he just ran out of energy. I can only imagine what he went through. He can regenerate, but he's not immune to pain."

Nobody really responded. Levi could only think _He's just a kid, he's just a fucking kid. _

Hanji swallowed, "See this?" She gently lifted up Eren's arm and pointed to a white line that went around the circumference of his arm. Erwin and Levi leaned in. "It looks like they cut this limb clean off. I did a test, the cells are indeed newer than the rest."

Erwin leaned back, "Good god."

Levi demanded, "Will he heal?"

"Yes," Hanji nodded, "Faster than a normal human, but much slower than his usual rate. He was really, really close to dying, guys."

Erwin sat down in the nearest chair, and ran a hand through his hair, "Whenever I talk to the scientists all I get are mad cackling and theories. It seems like they just did this for the kicks of it. There's no ulterior motif that I can find."

"If I can maybe get a journal," Hanji tapped her chin, "Or any kind of records, I might be able to know if there was a reason for all this…and maybe we can figure out what to do with those other…victims."

"Well those fuckers are going to sit in jail for a long, long time." Levi left the room angrily, muttering, "I'll see sure of it."

Hanji and Erwin exchanged looks.

* * *

Later that evening, when everyone had gone to bed, Levi took the seat next to Eren's bed. He crossed one leg over the other and sighed, "You brat…"

He tried sleeping, but he had deemed that pretty much impossible a couple years ago, so he slumped in his chair and made sure Eren continued to breathe.

An hour later he heard the door creak open, and a figure pause.

Levi called with his eyes closed, "I know it's you, Ackerman."

"Sir-"

"Go back to bed," The captain sat up and looked to the girl, shadowed by the lights from the hallway.

She asked, sternly, "Please, sir, just let me-"

"If he wakes up, or something, I'll come find you. I need you rested and alert tomorrow."

Levi could practically hear her internal conflict, before she nodded, and closed the door.

* * *

He wasn't quite sure when he dozed off in that creaky wooden chair, but he awoke to a sharp gasp.

Levi jolted up in his chair, and looked over to Eren's bed.

The younger had sat up, and was breathing hard, coughing and shaking. He had a hand around his own throat, and a couple tears escaped. The captain felt his stomach drop again.

"Eren," Levi called, calmly. Eren's head whipped over- eyes dilated and chest heaving painfully.

"Corporal?" He shakily ran a hand through his own hair, and wiped angrily at his eyes, "Where am I?"

Levi hesitated for a second, before leaving his chair and sitting next to Eren on the bed. "Safe."

He breathed, "Oh my gosh, how long was I out for?"

"Three days."

"Holy shit."

"How do you feel? Don't move too much-sit back down, idiot." Levi pressed a hand to his chest.

Eren winced and leaned back down, "My legs hurt. My everything hurts. Did you save me?"

"I found you." Levi answered.

"Thank you."

"Go back to sleep."

"I slept for three days, sir."

"Then rest. Everyone else is still asleep. Want something?"

"No...no." Eren rubbed at his swollen eye, and Levi slapped his hand,

"Don't do that."

"It itches."

"I don't care."

Eren sat still, and quiet. Levi returned to his chair and crossed his arms. Eren sniffed, and resisted the urge to cry.

Levi gazed at Eren with steady eyes; he still bloody and visibly in pain.

"Did you dream about it?"

"A-about what?"

"That place."

Eren swallowed, and breathed, "Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?" _What the hell am I doing?_

"No." Eren answered, sternly.

Levi hummed. There was a pause, and he said, "You know you're going to have to make a statement."

"I know."

"…go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a shit storm."

* * *

**Thank you for reading, i hope you liked it ^-^ I don't know how long this will be, but i've been wanting to write something in the snk universe, so, whala**

**Sorry for any mistakes**


	2. Chapter 2

To heal at the speed of a normal human could only be described as troublesome. Eren had become spoiled by his titan abilities, and was restless in the hospital bed as his bones mended and his lacerations healed. Fortunately enough, his friends were good about keeping him company.

"And so Mikasa grabbed his arm and _flipped him over her back!_" Connie cackled, and smacked his knee.

Eren grinned, "That's what you get for hitting on my sister."

"Okay, first of all-no. She did not _flip_ me. I tripped." Jean hissed.

Sasha giggled, "We were all there, Jean. No need to lie."

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

Eren looked to his sister- she had a look of self-satisfaction written all over her face.

Levi decided he was done with the antics, "Alright idiots. Break time is over, training will resume in five."

The teenagers knew better than to groan. They said their goodbyes, and left the room- taking the friendly aura with them. Eren's smile fell, and he looked down at his bandaged hands. Levi crossed the room, his boots clicking against the wood with each step. His back was towards Eren as he read through Hanji's scattered reports on the desk, "How are the legs?"

"Healed." Eren replied.

"Hn."

"I can resume training, Corporal." Eren pressed.

Levi rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "Not this again…"

"I'm strong enough, I promise." He was nearly begging, "Please, sir."

Levi turned around and crossed his arms; he leaned his back against the table. "You say you're fine? Okay. Come shine my boots." He kicked his heel to the floor for emphasis. Eren's eyes widened, like that wasn't the response he was expecting. Levi tsked, "I don't have all day."

As expected, Eren's face hardened into one of pure determination. He lifted one foot out of bed, and then the other. His knees wobbled as he first put pressure on them, but did better than expected. He turned and began to walk towards Levi, slowly. The corporal waited patiently, his gaze tearing through Eren. The teenager took another step, almost halfway across the room, when his legs went out from under him. He yelped and braced himself with his arms. He hissed in frustration and pain.

"Ready to train, yeah?"

"I can do it." Eren spat. Levi raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice, and Eren repeated himself in a softer tone. "I can do it, sir." He slowly made his way onto his knees, and then attempted to stand again. It was to no avail. He fell again, and again. Eren's chest heaved, already exhausted.

"Pathetic." Levi barked. "You can't even cross the room, yet you think you're ready to kill titans?"

Eren didn't look at him; he decided to stare at the floor instead. Levi walked past him, saying, "Know your own body, fool."

"What the hell- Eren?! Why are you out of bed? Levi, what-"

"It's your problem now." Levi mumbled as he glided past Hanji. There was a heavy feeling in his chest as soon as he left the room.

* * *

That incident in the infirmary shut up Eren for a good week or so. It was almost enough for Levi to feel guilty about it….none of this was the kid's fault, after all. But he was the ruthless captain and Eren was the maggot so he remained coldhearted.

Except Eren was still incredibly restless. Day after day of sitting in a bed doing nothing- just watching it made _Levi_ restless. After all, he was the one babysitting the brat. That Wednesday Levi decided to actually get some work done, and moved all the useless paperwork from his bedroom to the infirmary so he could do two things at once.

Eren was surprisingly silent for a long time, but as expected he began to shuffle around; he'd flip flop around in the bed and twist his sheets and scratch at the wooden bedframe.

Levi finally snapped, "Holy shit, can you sit still?" Eren jumped and quickly placed his hands in his turned back round, and stared angrily at his paperwork. The corporal then sighed, _dam__n him and his fucking puppy eyes. _

Eren whispered, "Sorry."

"Whatever."

There was another short period of silence, and then Eren asked, "What is everyone doing?"

"Training, probably."

"Oh." Eren fingered at the bandages on his chest. "Why are you here, then?"

"Because someone has to watch you and make sure you don't pick a scab and turn into a fuckin' titan."

Eren snorted, "I'm not _that_ accident prone." Levi turned completely around in his chair and gave Eren the dirtiest look that said _Are you being serious right now_. Eren actually busted out laughing; Levi rolled his eyes and turned back around to his work. "Um," Eren giggled into his hand, "Do you need help with anything? Like uh, paperwork or something? I'm kinda just sitting here."

"No."

Eren shrugged, "Okay then."

Another short silence had Levi sighing _again._ He spun around in his chair and stalked right out of the room. Eren watched him with a shocked expression, "Um, I-" Levi promptly returned carrying a box in hand. He grabbed two chairs and drug them over towards Eren's bedside. He shoved one chair between them, and placed the box on it. "What….?" Eren moved to sit up.

"It's a chess board. Ever seen one?"

"Um…no." Eren watched as Levi opened the box and pulled out each piece. "I mean, I've heard of it but I've never…."

Levi swiftly set up the game, "That's fine, I'll teach you." Eren gave him a weary expression, almost unbelieving of how nice he was being. Levi rolled his eyes, "I know if _you_ are offering to help me with paperwork, then you must be pretty fucking bored."

Eren shined a magnificent grin, and laughed as he scooted closer to the edge of the bed. "Thank you sir. I'm ready to learn."

* * *

"You are really horrible at this." Levi leaned his head in one hand while the other hand took Eren's queen.

"Damnit!" Eren huffed. "You're really good.."

"Not really." Levi watched with a bored expression as Eren moved a pawn, "You just get too impatient. You constantly want to strike but sometimes you have to be meticulous about it."

Eren got a look of determination as Levi called checkmate, " I want to try again Corporal."

"No way. Eight games are enough for me." Levi stood up and stretched his arms above his head, his back popping.

Eren sunk back into the bed, "Fine." He smiled up at Levi, "Thank you."

Levi's heart flipped and his eyes widened slightly. He quickly turned and muttered, "Brat."

* * *

"_Test seven is a go- make sure his arms are locked down real good."_

"_We already double checked the restraints-"_

"_This creature is not human, do not underestimate its strength."_

"_Yes sir." _

_The room smelled horrid; stuffy and humid. The countless straps covering his arms were tight enough to completely cut off circulation. He had given up struggling days ago. Eren closed his eyes when he heard the words; "Make the cut."_

_The stinging in his abdomen was strong, but he was determined not to scream. He was determined not to…._

_The numbing pain in his right arm was suddenly gone. Eren's eyes snapped open and he craned his head to look down. The shock was enough for Eren's jaw to drop in a silent shriek. When the feeling came back, Eren screamed. He screamed, and screamed, and screamed. His body arched off the metal bed and a cry was ripped out from the back of his throat. _

_The doctor holding his severed arm just said, "Interesting." Before walking away. _

Eren's eyes snapped open to see that he was sitting straight up in bed. Levi's face was inches from his, his pupils wide in shock. His slender fingers were digging into Eren's shoulders, trying to shake him awake.

"Eren! What the hell-"

The younger was quick to shove hard at the corporal's chest, and nearly flung himself off the bed to reach for the trashcan. It took Levi's brain only a second to comprehend, before he vaulted the bed and helped Eren reach the bin. Eren emptied out the contents of his stomach, and tears behind his eyes stung. He didn't even notice the hand on his back.

When he felt good enough, Eren leaned away from the basket and slouched against the bed frame.

"You done?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. Levi made a face as he pushed the trashcan away to deal with later. He didn't say anything as he helped Eren to his feet and forced him back into the bed. His breathing was shallow and he was covered in sweat. "Jeez…" Levi sighed, "You scared the shit out of me, suddenly screaming bloody murder like that."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault."

Eren was surprised when Levi motioned him to scoot over. The older plopped down next to him, and leaned his back against the pillows. Eren sat up straight, "Um,"

"Are you okay?"

The question rendered Eren speechless for a moment. The question was almost incredibly out of character for the corporal. Eren swallowed, "Ah, yeah. I'm alive. "

"Not what I meant."

"My body will heal in a week or so…"

"Also not what I meant." Levi stared at him with his normal stoic expression. Eren's eyes went wide, before sighing and sinking back down into the bed.

"I'll be fine."

"Hn."

It wasn't really the answer Levi was hoping for…he wasn't sure what answer he wanted. The kid had been through hell and back. Of course he was gonna have fuckin' nightmares. Eren was uncomfortable, lying in the small hospital bed squished next to his captain. While Levi was short, he was increadibly built; broad shoulders and hard muscle. Eren twisted his hands in his lap and broke the small silence,

"I'm sorry I woke you up sir."

"Stop apologizing. You're not the first person to ever have a bad dream, brat."

"You know, I've never been scared of titans." Eren swallowed and looked over at Levi. They were talking in a hushed tone now, realizing that it was still the middle of the night. "I never was the person that woke up from a nightmare screaming."

"That's because you're a rare one, kid." Levi sighed, crossing his arms and looking ahead. "You don't _just_ face your fears head on. You fucking headbutt them with all you've got."

Eren's face flushed slightly, and he sunk down into the bed, "I don't know why I can't get over this."

The only comfort Eren got was, "Give it time."

Eren didn't fall asleep quickly, but Levi's steady breathing next to him helped.

* * *

Days later Levi entered the bedroom Eren was now being held in. Hanji had decided that it was time he got to leave the infirmary, but that didn't mean he got to skip all the checkups.

Levi walked in on Eren's shirt pressed to his chin, arms high above his head. He ignored Eren's surprisingly good build and focused on the fading scars that marred his entire chest, leading downwards. He could see them running across his thighs all the way down to his ankles. The fact that the scars _were_ fading was proof enough that Eren still had his regenerative ability. Levi's mood instantly turned sour, looking at the horrifying proof of Eren's nightmares.

"Oh, hello there Levi!" Hanji grinned. "Look at 'em! Eren's doing so well."

"Hn." Levi walked up to the bed. Hanji took a pen and pointed to the big scar that ran around his arm.

"There's only a couple marks I see that could be permanent. Otherwise he should be scar free in a few months. I'm interested to know if Eren will lose all the marks after he transforms into a titan."

"He won't be transforming for a long time." Levi crossed his arms.

Eren perked up, "What? Why?!"

"Because. You need to get your strength back as a _human_ before you can run around as a frickin' _titan._"

Eren's shoulders shrugged, visibly upset.

"Why so eager to transform?" Hanji poked his cheek, and Eren rubbed at it and flushed.

"I just…I just want to be helpful again."

"You won't be worth shit if you're not at one hundred percent." Levi watched Hanji check Eren's muscle reaction and reflexes.

"Okay…" Eren looked down at his feet, before staring up at Levi with grit, "I'm going to do my best, sir."

"Good. I don't expect any less." Levi promptly left the room.

It was silent for a moment before Hanji smiled again, "Don't worry. You'll resume training tomorrow, and before you know it you'll be up and running as Humanity's Greatest Hope again."

Eren had mixed emotions about that.

* * *

Training was brutal at first. Getting Eren's muscles back to where they were before was going to be _a lot_ of work. Mikasa desperately tried to protect him from the harsh training, but Levi was having none of that. Eren worked until he collapsed, ran until his feet blistered, and flew through the air until his hands couldn't pull the triggers to his gear anymore.

Eren didn't complain; he wanted to grow stronger. As predicted, his body did heal. He was back in the bunk beds with all the other members of the corps. Breakfast was almost tolerable again with Eren there. All his friends were back to laughing and teasing, and the air was bright and cheery again. Well, as cheery as their shitty situation could be.

Having Eren back also meant that all the operations were back. Not to mention the investigation of the bastard scientists and how the _hell_ they prevented Eren from transforming. Just thinking about it made Levi's head hurt.

The corporal suddenly had an unfamiliar feeling in his chest again. Almost like….loneliness. He refused to admit that he missed sitting next to Eren day in and day out. He looked to the kid from across the table and noticed almost a… similar emotion in Eren's eyes.

When he felt his own heartbeat quicken, he abruptly stood up and ordered everyone out for training. Erwin didn't fail to notice Levi's slight flustered attitude, but he was smart enough not to say anything.

"You're lagging behind Eren." Levi called from across the field. He watched his special operations team do their daily run around the big grassy area outside headquarters.

The determined teenager put more energy in his legs, and pushed harder. His concerned friends looked behind them with sober expressions. Arlert began to slow to run along him, giving him words of encouragement.

"Don't you think you're pushing him a little too hard?" Hanji approached Levi and stood next to him.

"No."

Hanji rolled her eyes, "Levi, think about what he's recovering from."

"You said yourself that he's back to normal physical condition."

"Yeah but…" She rubbed at the back of her head, "That doesn't mean his mental condition is fine."

Levi snapped, "What, so I'm his therapist now?"

"No!" Hanji growled in frustration, "Just be _mindful._"

"Well, newsflash." Levi hissed back, "We all have emotional damage. It's part of the job."

He didn't really mean to make Hanji stomp off in anger, but Levi had been in a shit mood all day and watching Eren try his damn best to run along his friends was making _himself_ feel like the worst person in the world.

* * *

When the corporal walked past the room that held his squad, he hesitated by the door when he heard yelling. His first emotion was concern, but he waited a moment;

"Hahahaha- Eren!"

"That's what you get when you-"

"No don't throw that-"

"Holy shit! Hahahaaha-"

He peaked in the door and saw the group jumping around the room and whacking each other with pillows. Sometimes it was a relief to see happy people in a shitty world. Levi saw Eren rolling on the floor, laughing. He should have told them to stop…told them to act like soldiers…but he couldn't take away their fun. Besides, tomorrow they would be back out with the titans. He told himself _let them be._

Levi turned and left to stomp down to his room. _Eren's fine. Fuckin' shit, why am I so worried about him. After all I'm the one that's probably going to have to…._ The corporal stopped his thought when he reached his bedroom door.

…_.kill him. _

He slammed his door shut in anger. Levi was becoming emotionally attached to these kids. _I'm fucked._ Levi knocked his head against the door._ These people are going to die. _He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and growled out loud, "These kids are going to die and I won't be able to do anything about it."

Levi suddenly thought about Eren, chained to the wall half dead and bleeding. That familiar sinking feeling appeared in his stomach, so he grabbed the nearest chair and hurled it against the wall.

* * *

Today was the 59th expedition beyond the walls. The goals were to go out and build some more safe houses; clear out some areas and create more bases. It was a tedious task but it needed to be done. Not a lot of soldiers were taken; just some that could work and some that could kill.

And so the Survey Corps rode out beyond the walls, past the booing people and into the open fields. The weight on Eren's shoulders lifted with the fresh air. As he rode with his friends he looked forwards to the Corporal. He looked strong, per usual, staring forwards with a bored expression. Eren felt lucky to have such a capable superior. _It's odd…but I almost feel safe with him. _Eren cringed at his own thought, _If I told him that he'd kick me to next year._

* * *

"Can't sleep?"

He watched Eren's form visibly jump from surprise, and spin on his heels. Dark circles were underneath his eyes, which were seemingly dead. It was almost nauseating to see the kid's eyes without passion. It made Levi want to throw up or throw something.

"Sir." Eren then remembered to salute, and stood at attention. Levi waved him off, and walked up next to him. His straps fell loosely around his own legs, showing that the corporal hadn't even tried to go to bed. Meanwhile Eren was in a flimsy shirt and pants. Levi could see the goosebumps on his arms from the chilly weather.

Levi folded his arms on the railing and looked out over the big fields. Today had been a success; they made it to the safe-house outside the walls without any serious injuries. Now they were standing on the roof looking out over the infinite land that seemed to stretch on forever.

Eren relaxed and turned back around the grip the rail. He asked quietly, "Why…are you awake corporal?"

"Probably the same as you."

Eren was surprised by that answer, and looked away. "Oh."

Levi knew why Eren was awake. There was no way he could act so happy around his friends without any kind of mental repercussions. The terrible nightmares persisted, even months after the incident.

"Do you even try to sleep anymore?"

"No." Eren answered sternly. "I don't want to wake everyone up."

"You need sleep."

"So do you."

"I'm not 18." Levi replied with an eyebrow raised.

Eren sighed, "I don't want to. Every time I do I relive _everything._"

"You may not think I can relate," Levi said slowly, "but I can. It will pass." Eren only nodded, and rested his chin on his arms. Levi asked blatantly, "What was it about?"

"I think it was the third or fourth day," Eren muttered, "They took a knife and cut out my stomach- held it out right in front of me."

"God." Levi scratched at his head. The notion was almost too human. The more Eren thought about it…the more Eren realized that Levi was more normal than anyone gave him credit for. Eren didn't say anything else, he just wiped at his tired eyes. The corporal spoke slowly, almost unsure of what he was about to say, "Do you…want to know why I'm awake?"

Eren perked up, interested that Levi was actually going to talk about himself. He nodded politely. Levi looked up at the dark sky and said, "I don't dream anymore. I mean, I used to, about people dying and whatnot. But eventually I got so used to it that it stopped bothering me."

"That's sad." Eren whispered, "That's really sad."

Levis first reaction was to yell at him- he didn't want Eren's pity. But the sober look in Eren's eyes washed away his anger like water, and so he finally choked out, "Well, I just never sleep. So there."

Eren didn't want to press the issue anymore, so he just smiled and looked back up at the stars.

* * *

Bedtime turned into nightly games of chess. When the clock struck one Eren would sneak out of the shared room, trying not to trip over Jean's boots or Sasha's tangled arms. He'd meet with Levi- usually somewhere different depending on where they were. Nevertheless they'd play for an hour or so. Night was when Levi would do paperwork and other nonsense…but he found himself making time for Eren.

He needed to stop. He needed to be the heartless corporal. He needed to hate Eren Jaeger.

But he couldn't.

Mostly because the night he first saw Eren awake on the roof...he had a nightmare of his own. And ever since then… the same one over and over again.

A nightmare of him walking in on Eren in that horrid lab. A nightmare of Eren being dead.

And so Levi decided to stop sleeping altogether. If he got maybe an hour or two he would call it a success.

"Checkmate."

"One day I'm going to beat you." Eren laughed in a whisper, "And it's going to be amazing."

"Sure." Levi moved the pieces to reset the board. "Keep dreaming."

"Corporal…" Eren began slowly.

"Hm?"

"You're not as mean as you think."

That statement caused Levi's eyebrows to shook skyward. He looked at Eren almost in shock, "What?"

"You're kind, Corporal." Eren looked down at his hands. "You sat by me when I was injured, you trained me until I was strong again, and you stay up with me when I can't sleep. You are kind."

Levi honestly didn't know how to reply to that, so he managed to spit out, "I'm your babysitter, remember."

Eren laughed, "I don't think all that is in the job description."

"I only do what's convenient for me." Levi moved a pawn, "Don't read too much into it."

Eren shook his head, "I know what you're doing. You're trying to make yourself the bad guy like you always do. I won't fall for it."

_This brat…he doesn't know what he's saying. _ Levi never responded, mostly because he was at a loss of words. He moved a knight and took out Eren's bishop.

* * *

**sorry this took like forever to update. I'm definitely going to be updating this more, i've already started on chapter three c:**

**thanks for reading~**


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